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Over my years of working in complex collaboration projects and institutional change management, I took notice of what shifted actors into a more collaborative space. Shifts tended to occur around personal competences. People brought these competences in or they developed them jointly with their collaborators. Although, nothing I noticed was radically new – what was new was the uniquely unfolding combinations of these competences, forming a constantly changing pattern of mutually supportive ingredients . And it was the aliveness of this presence that made a difference. In a stuffy room in Salvador de Bahia all the ingredients were there. Each participant had a very valid reason forContinue Reading

There are a techniques helping to develop mindfulness and they can be learnt. Although meditation can take us a long way towards mindfulness, there is more to it – at the core of mindfulness is the ability to become more than our own separate mind and feelings. When the mind finally becomes quite, it sets free other competences – compassion, gratitude, humility – as if these elements were quietly waiting to be set free. The key technique for mindfulness is mastering the mind and understanding that at the core of the human heart is love. If we access this placeContinue Reading

Finding our balance requires incorporating new techniques into our lives. There are many ways to get it right – from a regular workout at the Gym, to retreating into nature, to meditating or playing with our kids. Yet I believe we can go one step further in understanding how balance works and why. Can we simply learn from life? Balance requires a combination of three different energies in order to bring forth life, maintain its growth and take it to the next level. The first energy is our passion for life, for what we do, for how we relate to others. This passionContinue Reading

Wanting to make a difference for a better world is probably the most widely suppressed desire in organizations and among senior leaders. Beneath the surface of many high performing top executives is a vague disappointment with the competitiveness of the corporate world, and an unexpressed deep desire to create more meaning, more connectedness, and more relatedness. A senior manager from a multinational company told me “What I feel is that every person actually has a core that wants to serve … and it is more about uncovering it, because this gets silenced, cut off, nobody is asking for it, nobodyContinue Reading

A shift in thinking often precedes a change in action. This process is supported by collective narratives, which, for better or worse, help people to emotionally engage and create a different future. Narratives speak to the human capability to find meaning, and consciously and collectively shape the future. Therefore, when collective leadership decides to engage with transformative change we also need to engage with collective narratives. Through the lens of the dimensions of the Collective Leadership Compass, narratives co-creates a future that engenders responsibility and enacts future possibilities. But narratives also touch on other principles. They further the dimension of engagementContinue Reading

Over my years of working in complex collaboration projects and institutional change management I noticed that certain elements consistently shift actors into more collaborative spaces. These elements show up as personal competences which people bring in or jointly develop with their collaborators. I continued my inquiry and started to observe more closely. What was present when a cross-sector group agreed on a plan of action in an atmosphere of joint commitment? What kept a diverse group of actors together when each had to overcome hurdles in convincing their institution to collaborate? What emerged when a group of managers from competing industries patiently persisted inContinue Reading

“For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length – and there I travel looking, looking breathlessly.” Carlos Castaneda (The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge, The Original Teachings in a Deluxe 30th Anniversary Edition Have you ever experienced an ambitious collaboration effort for sustainability that lost its intention? Have you come across deadening administrative cooperation procedures, bureaucratic structures and territorial fights? Have you even become tired of organizing stakeholder meetings that required huge efforts in backContinue Reading

For me passion is at the base of my creativity and inspiration. When I feel passionate, I know why I am here and why I am doing what I am doing, and I can inspire others. I like to describe passion as an arousal of the heart. It is the desire to make a difference, the urge to change something for the better. I believe, our initial deeper intention is nourished by passion. Dreams hold passion, as do aspirations. Passion is the direct expression of our capacity to love life, the world and other people. Sometimes, over periods of timeContinue Reading

Donella Meadows’ article: Leverage Points – Places to Intervene in a System is an inspiring reminder, a timeless contribution that makes one think – and hopefully act. Reading it you might recognize how many aspects of sustainability initiatives are still stuck in regulatory approaches that – according to Donella – are lowdown on the list of effective leverage points. The second highest effective leverage point, she suggests, is the power to create a paradigm shift. This is what she says about how to create a paradigm shift: “You keep pointing at the anomalies and failures of the old paradigm, you keep speaking louder andContinue Reading

Collective leadership for sustainability is the capacity of a group of actors to deliver their unique contribution to a joint purpose collaboratively. High priority is given to the common good, and a balance is struck between the needs of people, profit, and the planet. Leadership paradigms often refer only to individuals and the expansion of one person’s skills. Sustainability challenges, however, require us to go beyond the individual and build the capacity of groups and systems to move important issues of common concern forward. In turn, this requires collective action, dialogue and collaboration. Leading for sustainability is therefore not anContinue Reading